Sudhir Kumar: Maternal Anemia May Shape a Child’s Brain Development
Sudhir Kumar, Professor and Head of Department of Neurology at Apollo Hospitals, shared a post on X about a recent article by Jessica E Ringshaw et al., published in BMC Medicine, adding:
“Babies born to anaemic mothers have poorer brain development.
Maternal anemia during pregnancy directly impacts a child’s brain structure with lasting effects into school age.
1.Reduced Brain Volume:
- Children born to mothers with anemia during pregnancy show a approximately 4% reduction in total brain volume, with structural differences persisting into early childhood (ages 6–7).
2.Key Affected Regions:
- Corpus Callosum: The bridge connecting the brain’s left & right hemispheres.
- Caudate Nucleus and Putamen: Deep brain structures vital for motor control, learning, and emotional regulation.
3.Long-Term Cognitive Impact:
- Slower processing speed and complex communication.
- Difficulties with attention, memory, and learning.
- Poorer impulse control and emotional regulation.
4.Why does it Happen?
- Fetal Hypoxia: Low hemoglobin starves the developing fetal brain of oxygen.
- Iron Deficiency: Crucial for building nerve sheaths (myelination) and brain cell connections.
Key Takeaway:
Early screening and correcting iron deficiency before and during pregnancy is a critical, high-impact step for lifelong child brain health.”
Title: Persistent impact of antenatal maternal anaemia on child brain structure at 6-7 years of age: a South African child health study
Authors: Jessica E Ringshaw, Chanelle J Hendrikse, Catherine J Wedderburn, Layla E Bradford, Simone R Williams, Charmaine N Nyakonda, Sivenesi Subramoney, Marilyn T Lake, Tiffany Burd, Nadia Hoffman, Annerine Roos, Katherine L Narr, Shantanu H Joshi, Steven C R Williams, Heather J Zar, Dan J Stein, Kirsten A Donald
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